DENVER — Mark Sanchez is getting a change of scenery and a new job description: replacing Peyton Manning.

Instead of being buried deep on Philadelphia’s depth chart, the veteran quarterback has a chance to lead Denver’s defense of its Super Bowl title.

The Broncos acquired the seven-year veteran from the Eagles on Friday, a move Denver General Manager John Elway called the first step toward replacing Manning.

The Super Bowl champions were left without an experienced quarterback this week when five-time MVP Manning retired and Brock Osweiler signed with Houston as a free agent. So they have turned to Sanchez, who was acquired for a conditional 2017 draft pick.

“He brings veteran leadership & will compete,” Elway tweeted. “This is the 1st step in our process.”

Sanchez, 29, spent his first five NFL seasons with the Jets, helping them reach the AFC championship game in his first two years. But the fifth overall pick in the 2009 draft lost his job in New York and spent the last two seasons with the Eagles, starting 10 games and going 4-6 filling in for Nick Foles and later Sam Bradford.

BROWNS: The Browns finally cut ties with troublesome quarterback Johnny Manziel, ending his drama-filled two-year stay with the team.

The 2012 Heisman Trophy winner faces an uncertain future in the NFL and potential criminal charges in Texas following a domestic violence incident.

Manziel’s end had been expected for weeks, and the Browns announced his departure with eight words: “The Cleveland Browns have waived QB Johnny Manziel.” The team included a few stats but no other comment.

Meanwhile, the Dallas Morning News reported the Cowboys have no intention of signing Manziel, who had said he believed Dallas would express strong interest.

JETS: Free-agent quarterback Robert Griffin III reportedly met with New York executives.

Griffin was cut by Washington on Monday, ending a tumultuous tenure in which he immediately became a star in 2012 before eventually spending all last season on the sideline because of injuries and inconsistency.

A source told The Associated Press that the Jets’ focus remains on re-signing Ryan Fitzpatrick, and the move to give Griffin a look is simply the team doing its due diligence.

OBITUARY: Gary Jeter, a defensive lineman who played for the Giants, Rams and Patriots during a 13-year NFL career, died Wednesday.

No cause of death was given. Jeter was 61.